Magistrates in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, heard that an eyewitness filmed the incident, and the moments before it, with a video camera.

Miss Philippa Cowley, prosecuting, told the court Mr Morse was struck by a rear-mounted propeller and died "virtually immediately".

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Morse died as a result of severe head injuries.

It emerged on Tuesday that members of the hunt had complained to the Civil Aviation Authority about a gyrocopter following them.

Warwickshire
Hunt master Sam Butler said: 'A gyrocopter had been following us for a
couple of weeks and we had made a formal complaint to the Civil
Aviation Authority 10 days ago.'

The Civil Aviation Authority
confirmed that a complaint about the gyrocopter was received 10 days
ago, and an investigation subsequently launched.

Mr Butler
said he was unable to speculate on why the gyrocopter was following the
hunt and was awaiting the result of the police inquiry.

A man has been charged with the murder of
Trevor Morse, who died after he was hit by a gyrocopter at Long Marston
airfield near Stratford-Upon-Avon on Monday

Mr Morse had been following the hunt just hours
before the tragedy, when a gyrocopter began 'buzzing' the hunt in a bid to
disrupt its activities.

When the gyrocopter left the hunt at Todenham, near
Shipston-on-Stour, at lunchtime, Mr Morse - described as a 'passionate
supporter of country pursuits' - headed to the airfield seven miles
away with a female hunt member in a bid to identify who was on board.

One source said he is thought to have taken binoculars with him -
and may have been looking through its lenses when he was struck.

Mr Morse did not ride with the Warwickshire Hunt, but was responsible for looking after its eagle owl, Wilma.

Investigators load a gyrocopter on to a trailer yesterday

Since the Hunting Act banned the hunting of foxes with dogs, hunts
have adopted the rules of falconry, a sport in which dogs flush to a
bird of prey.

He did not have children, but his long-term partner Caroline, who
has taken his surname, has two teenagers from a previous relationship.

Mrs Morse, 57, remained too upset to comment at her home in Aldminster, near Stratford, yesterday.

Sam Butler, huntmaster of the Warwickshire Hunt, said he had
complained to the CAA about a gyrocopter swooping low over the hunt ten
days before Mr Morse was killed.

A CAA spokesman said the authority had commenced an investigation
prior to the tragedy, and had been in contact with the complainant and
police.

Almost decapitated: Hunt supporter Trevor Morse

Detective Superintendent Graeme Pallister, of Warwickshire Police,
said officers were still working to establish 'how and why Mr Morse
died'.

A post mortem examination was carried out at the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said the casualty had
suffered a head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene. He could
not comment on the extent of the head injuries.

The helicopter-style aircraft is not allowed to fly lower than 500ft
but was said to have been swooping aggressively over the hunt in the
past few weeks.